Means for feeding shoe stiffener blanks into machines for moulding the same



Sept. 27, 1960 H. A. R. FORSTER 2,953,795

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER sumxs INTO MACHINES FOR MOULDING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 29 I i k, 32 l l fi 42' 37 I 41 I "Hg a I! o I I H a 40 I. C) IB l 1 l I L ,5 I A A \RIX l HVVENTDR FORSTER, HENRY ATKINSON RONALD ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1960 H. A. R. FORSTER ,7

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS INTO MACHINES FOR MOULDING THE SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1959 lNVENTO/g FORSTER, HENRY ATKINSON RONALD A TTORNE Sept. 27, 1960 H. A. R. FORSTER 2,953,795

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS IN'IO' MACHINES FOR MOULDING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, l95 5 Sheets-Sheet :s

INVENTO 37 R FORSTER, HENRY ATKINSON RONALD ATTOR Y Sept. 27, 1960 H. A. R. FORSTER 2,953,795

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS INTO MACHINES F OR MOULDING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-sheaf 4 INVENTOR.

FORSTER, HENRY ATKINSON RONALD A TTORA/E Y Sept. 27, 1960 H. A. R. FORSTER 2,953,795

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS INTO MACHINES FOR MOULDING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig .6.

INVENTOR FORSTER, HENRY ATKINSCN RONALD ATTORNEY United States NIEANS FOR FEEDING SHOE STIFFENER BLANKS INTO MACHINES FOR MOULD- ING THE SALE Henry Atkinson Ronald Forster, Glen Hills, Blaby, England, assignor to Albert Pemberton & Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company This invention relates to means for feeding shoe stiffener blanks, more especially heel, i.e., counter, stiffener blanks into machines for moulding the same to shape.

Although there is no limitation in this respect, it is principally the intention to embody the invention in a mechanism for feeding heel stiffener blanks, either in an initially flat or in a partly processed condition, into a moulding machine or press of the type comprising, in combination, a vertical carrier for a central, appropriately shaped male mould part customarily called and hereinafter for convenience referred to as the leg, a pair of co-operating mould jaws arranged at respectively opposite sides of, and adapted to rock inwardly relatively to, the leg for the purpose of gripping, compressing and moulding to the desired shape a shoe stiffener blank fed into the mould, and a vertically movable wiper plate which is adapted to be moved down over the front of the mould for turning over a marginal edge portion of the moulded blank left projecting from the closed mould suchwise as to produce on the stiffener the customary flange or seat.

Shoe stiffener blanks of the kind concerned may be made of leather, animal and/or vegetable fibre, synthetic or any other suitable material conditioned for the process of moulding, and an example of a partly processed blank is one the appropriate edge of which has been skived or/and has had the straight marginal portion thereof which is to provide the customary flange or seat rolled to corrugate or similarly form the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simply constructed and efiicient mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into a moulding machine.

The automatic feeding mechanism constituting this invention essentially comprises, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of a stiffener moulding machine, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth over or along guides on the framework between the magazine and the front face of the mould of the moulding machine, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the carriage, the said body being turnable to and fro about its longitudinal axis as and when the carriage is moved back and forth as aforesaid, and, mounted on the body, a pair of swivelling clamps furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release the marginal seat edge portion of a stiffener blank, these clamps being turnable 'angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements of the body.

The mechanism also includes automatic means of any suitable character adapted, each time the carriage is advanced towards the mould face, to pick up a stiffener blank from the top of the stack in the magazine and insert this topmost blank in a flat condition between positioning elements designed to hold the blank in such a position as to enable its seat edge portion to be engaged by the clamping jaws of the swivelling clamps at the "ice termination of the succeeding reverse, i.e. rearward, movement of the carriage away from the mould.

In order that the invention may be more clearly under stood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific constructional example of the automatic stiffener blank feeding mechanism will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a general perspective view, as seen from one side, of the complete feeding mechanism and of so much of a stilfener moulding machine as is necessary to illustrate the said mechanism in its position of use,

Figure 2 is a further perspective view of the feeding mechanism with the carriage fully advanced towards the mould face,

Figure 3 is a general perspective view of the storage magazine and of the associated means for automatically picking up a stiffener blank from the top of the stack in the magazine,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front end of the mechanism showing the elongated body fully advanced and the swivelling clamps presented forwards and turned to bend a stiifener blank into inverted U-form,

Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the carriage and the elongated body per se, showing the said body as it appears when the carriage is moved back and the jaws of the swivelling clamp have been closed to engage and grip a stiffener blank,

Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the said carriage, showing the elongated body turned over through to the position depicted in Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view of the elongated body, illustrating the electro-mechanical means employed for operating the pivoted jaws of the swivelling clamps,

Figure 8 is a detail View showing the connection between the carriage and the means for picking up stiffener blanks from the magazine, and

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view illustrating one of the swivelling clamps,

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the automatic stiffener blank feeding mechanism includes a framework P which is supported on a pillar l mounted in a base 2. With the mechanism in its normal working position shown in Figure 1, the front of the framework F is adjacent to the face of the mould M of a stilfener moulding machineindicated generally in chain lines at 3. At the back of the said framework is provided a rearwardly inclined storage magazine 4 to contain a stack of stiffener blanks such as B. Movable back and forth along horizontally disposed guide bars '5 on the framework F, between the magazine 4 and the face of the mould M, is a carriage '6. An elongated body 7 extends transversely across and is supported in the carriage, this body being turnable about its longitudinal axis as the carriage is moved back and forth. Mounted on the front of the elongated body 7 is a pair of swivelling clamps C each furnished with clamping jaws 8 and 9 operable to grip and release the marginal seat edge portion B of a stiffener blank B. These swivelling clamps C are turnable angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body 7, as will be hereinafter described.

The mechanism includes automatic means indicated generally at 10, and adapted, each time the carriage 6 is advanced towards the mould face, to pick up a stiffener blank B from the top of the stack in the magazine and insert this topmost blank in a flat condition between positioning elements 11, 11a (see Figure 2) designed to hold the blank in such a position as to enable its seat edge portion B to be engaged and gripped by the pairs of clamping jaws 8, 9 of the swivelling clamps C at the tenni nation of each rearward movement of the carriage 6 away from the mould M.

The to and fro movements of the elongated body 7 about its longitudinal axis are each to the extent of 180 or substantially so, the arrangement being such that each time the carriage is moved rearwardly towards the storage magazine 4 the elongated body 7 will be turned to present the swivelling clamps C rearwards as shown in Figure to enable the jaws 8 of the clamps to be engaged over the seat edge portion B of the stiffener blank previously inserted between the positioning elements '11, 11a, whereas each time the carriage is advanced towards the mould M the elongated body 7 willbe turned through half a revolution or thereabeuts suchwise as torpresent the swivelling clamps C forwards (Figure 6) so that they then face the m ld.

But whereas each time the elongated body 7 turns in either direction through 180 or substantially so, the swivelling clamps C are conjointly turned, in respectively opposite and appropriate directions, each to the extent of only 90 or thereabouts. The purpose of these swivelling movements is to enable the clamps first to engage over and grip the seat edge portion B of a stiffener blank B while the latter is in an initially flat condition, and then, by virtue of opposite angular movements of the clamps inwards each through about 90, to bend the blank almost double from the flat into inverted U-form to roughly the final shape (Figure 6). In this way a bent blank is immediately ready for pushing into the mould M, i.e. between a leg and the co-operating mould jaws, at the termination of a forward movement of the carriage.

Each swivelling clamp C includes a jaw mounting 12 secured and extending at right angles. to the outer end of a spindle 13 arranged to turn in a bearing 13a attached to the front of the elongated body 7. Each time the carriage 6 completes a backward movement with the clamps presented rearwards, the jaw mountings 12 are both vertically disposed each in the 12 oclock position (see Figure 5), whereas by the time the carriage has nearly completed a forward movement and the clamps are presented forwards, the said jaw mountings 12 are both horizontally but oppositely disposed-one in the 3 oclock position and the other in the 9 oclock position as depicted in Figure 6.

Each jaw mounting is of bifurcated form and consists, as shown more clearly in Figure 9, of a pair of spaced plates 14 between which are located two jaws, viz. a fixed 1 jaw or anvil 8 and a relatively movable pivoted jaw 9.

A helical compression spring (not shown) is provided between each anvil 8 and jaw 9 to bias the jaw 9 into its open position. The pivoted jaw 9 of each clamp C is moved into co-operative relationship with the associated fixed jaw 8 by means of appropriately timed electromechanical means so designed as in no way to hinder the swivelling movements of'the jaw mounting 12. For this purpose each pivoted jaw 9 is turned to clamp 21 stiffener blank B on to the relevant fixed jaw 8 by means of a push rod 15 (Figure 7) arranged to be displaced axially by means of a solenoid 16 mounted on the back of the elongated body 7. The push rods 15 extend through the spindles 13 of the clamps which spindles accordingly require to be of tubular form. When the solenoids are de-activated the jaws 9 are opened automatically by the said compression SPl'lIlgS.

An appropriately shaped and contoured pressure plate #17 (Figures 5 and 6) mounted upon the front of the elongated body 7 between the two spaced swivelling clamps C, is provided to act on the edge of the seat portion B of a bent stiffener blank B and push the latter correctly between the mould parts at the termination of a forward movement of the carriage 6.

The turning-over movements of the elongated body 7, both during transport of a stiifener blank B from the positioning elements 11, 11a to the mould M, and also during return of the body to enable the clamps C to receive the next blank are conveniently elfected as a direct consequence of the longitudinal movements of the carriage 6 relatively to the framework F. Thus, a shaft 18 fixed in the elongated body 7 and extending along the longitudinal axis thereofhas secured thereon a friction wheel or disc 19 which is arranged to run along the lower edge of a bar or strip 20 carried by the framework -F. If desired, this bar or strip may be yieldingly mounted.

For the purpose of positively locating the elongated body 7 in position and preventing it from turning at each end of the travel of the carriage 6 back and forth, the said body is provided with a member 21 having parallel locating flats 21:: adapted for engagement with straight portions 22a of a location bar 22 fitted to the framework F. This location bar, like the bar or strip under which the friction wheel or disc 19 runs, may, if desired, be yieldingly mounted.

It is preferred that the carriage shall be moved back and forth by a fluid pressure operated cylinder and piston device, such as that indicated at. 23 in Figure 4, under the control of automatically actuated and suitably timed valves (not shown), although there is no limitation in this respect. For instance, electrical or mechanical means may alternatively be provided for moving the carriage.

The spindles 13 of the swivelling clamps C are geared, through the medium of pairs of inter-meshing 2/1 bevel gears 24, 25, to half shafts 18 and 26 fixed in the opposite sides of the carriage 6, the elongated body 7 being turnable about these half shafts. Thus, each time the elongated body 7 rotates through 180 the swivelling clamps will turn, in opposite directions, through 90.

The previously mentioned automatic means for picking up a stiffener blank B from the top of the stack in the magazine 4 and, inserting such blank in a flat condition between the positioning elements 11, 11a consists, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, of a tube 27 which is slidable longitudinally and up and down through a sleeve 28 mounted to rock forwardly and rearwardly under the control of a spring 29 in a fixed bracket 30 mounted on the framework F, the upper half of this tube being connected, by a flexible pipe 31, with a vacuum-engendering turbine type fan unit 32. The lower end of the vacuum tube 27 is connected with a cross bar 33 at the front of the carriage 6, by means of a length of roller chain 34 guided by rollers 35 and 36 (see Figure 8), the arrangement being such that each time the carriage 6 moves forwardly, the chain 34 moves so that the tube 27, with a stiffener blank B held by suction to the open lower end thereof, will be drawn up through the sleeve 28 to a position at which the tube is swung forward, against the action of the spring 29, to insert the blank between the positioning elements 11, 11a. Conversely, during each return of the carriage 6 rearwardly from the mould M to the blankpositioning elements 11, 11a at the upper end of the storage magazine 4, the tube-27 will swing rearwardly under the spring action clear of the said positioning elements and move down the magazine to rest on the topmost blank of the stack.

From the foregoing broad description, it will be appreciated that the operation of the entire automatic feed" mechanism is as follows:

At the outset it will be assumed that the lower end of the vacuum tube 27 is, as depicted in Figure 1', rest ing on the topmost stiffener blank of the stack in the, magazine 4, and that the carriage 6 is in its rearmost position with the swivelling clamps C vertical (Figure 5) and their jaws 8, 9 open and engaged over the seat edge portion B of a blank B previously inserted into the positioning elements 11, 11a at the top of the mngazine. At the commencement of the cycle, vacuum is applied to the top end of the tube 27, energy isapplicd to the carriage 6 to move it forwards towards the I mould face and power is applied tothe solenoids 160i,

the clamps C to effect closure. of the; jaws and cause them to grip the said seat edge portion B' of the blank. During the blank transporting period, the elongated body 7 is turned-over through 180 by virtue of engagement of the frictional wheel or disc 19 with the underside of the bar or strip 20 on the framework F and is then located by the location bar 22. This turning movement of the body 7 swivels the clamps C in opposite direction through 90 to bend the blank B into inserted U-form as shown in Figure 6, and at the final stage of the carriage advance, the pressure plate 17 pushes the bent blank between the mould parts and the clamp jaws 8, 9 are opened. Simultaneously with the advance of the carriage 6, the vacuum tube 27 is drawn upwards and brings with it the topmost blank; at its top position the said tube swings forward, say through about such movement inserting the flat blank between the positioning elements 11, 11a. Next, the travel of the carriage 6 is reversed and it moves rearwards to enable the clamps C with their jaws 8, 9 still open, to be vertically disposed again (as indicated in Figure 5), for engagement over the seat edge portion B of the last mentioned blank. It may be mentioned here that, in swinging forwardly to insert a blank B between the positioning elements 11, 11a the vacuum tube 27 pushes the blank forwards farther than is really necessary so as to make quite certain that the clamps C, which push the blank partially backwards again, are fully engaged over the seat edge portion B. During the rearward travel of the carriage 6, the elongated body 7 is, of course, turned-over again through 180 and then positively located whilst the clamps are turned through 90 to their original vertical positions as aforesaid. Simultaneously with such rearward travel of the carriage, the vacuum tube 27 returns, in the manner previously described, to pick up the next blank in the stack.

A few of the more important constructional details of the component parts embodied in the illustrated example of the improved automatic mechanism will now be described.

In this example, the fixed framework -F comprises two parallel side frame members 37 connected transversely by appropriately located cross bars such as 38, 39. At their back ends farthest away from the moulding machine the side frame members 37 are inclined rearwardly and connected by rods 40 serving to support two similarly inclined and parallel guide plates 41 which constitute the opposite sides of the storage magazine 4. These guide plates are relatively adjustable laterally by screw means 42, and have associated with their lower ends upwardly inclined arms '43 defining the bottom of the magazine. By appropriate adjustment of the guide plates 41 the correct relative lengths of the spaced limbs or sides of a bent U-form stiffener can be obtained.

To the side frame members 37 are attached the horizontal carriage guide bars 5 which are of rectangular cross section. Arranged alongside the inner face of one of the side frame members, and rigid therewith, is a further horizontal bar 44 carrying beneath it the strip along the under surface of which the friction wheel 19 on the elongated body 7 runs. Similarly arranged alongside the inner face of the other side frame member, and rigid therewith, is the location bar 22 having straight horizontal portions 220: and an intermediate upwardly shaped portion 22b. The lower edges of the horizontal portions 22a are straight and adapted to co-operate with the parallel flats 21a formed at opposite sides of a bossed member 21 provided at the appropriate end of the elongated body 7. The recess fonned in the underside of the location bar 22 by virtue of the upward shaping of the central portion thereof accommodated the bossed member 21 formed with the flats during the free turning movements of the elongated body 7.

through which, the vacuum tube 27 is freely slidable longi- 6 tudinally. The said sleeve is formed with a lug 28a through which extends a transverse pivot pin 45 set in the bracket 30. The opposite ends of torsion springs 29 mounted on the pivot pin 45 are attached respectively to the sleeve 28 and the fixed framework of the stiffener moulding machine.

Aflixed to the back of the cross bar 38 are two pairs of lugs each of which pairs accommodates a positioning element 11 in the form of a spring-influenced guide of sectoral form having a convex outer and lower surface for guiding into position a blank B picked up by the vacuum tube. Immediately beneath, and adapted to cooperate with, each such sectoral blank-positioning guide 11 is a fixed horizontal positioning element 11a. Thus, an initially flat stiffener blank picked up by the vacuum tube 27 is, upon a forward swing of the said tube, first caused to slide downwardly and forwardly along the convex surfaces of the sectoral guides 11 and then inserted between the latter and the fixed horizontal positioning elements 11a co-operating therewith.

The carriage 6 in this example comprises, quite simply, two longitudinal slide members 6a connected rigidly together by a cross bar 33 and a cross rod 47. The forward ends of the said side members 6a are formed with bearings 48 for the two half shafts 18 and 26 of the elongated body 7. The outer faces of these side members 6a are recessed longitudinally from end to end as at 6b to accommodate the horizontal guide bars 5 along which the carriage is arranged to slide back and forth. Upon the back of the cross bar 46 which connects upstanding portions of the side members 6a near the front of the carriage 6 is welded a bifurcated element in which is attached the forward end of the length of conventional roller chain 34, the opposite end of this chain being con-- nected to the lower end of the vacuum tube 27.

The elongated body 7 consists of a rectangular box upon each of the opposite ends of which is Provided a boss 7a. Centrally through these bosses extend the axially ailgned half shafts which are rigidly fixed in the box. The outer ends of the half shafts 18 and 26 protrude right through the bosses 7a into the aligned bearings 48 formed in the side member 6a of the carriage 6. Upon the back face of the box 7 are mounted two suitably spaced cylindrical solenoid bodies 16a designed to house coils 50 the leads to which are threaded through bores extending through the half shafts 18 and 26. The armature 16b of the solenoids 16, which are slidable axially within the bodies 16a are furnished at their outer ends with discs 51 which, upon energisation of the coils 50, move into contact with the back face of the box 7 to limit the inner movements of the armatures. These armatures are arranged to act upon the clamp operating push rods 15. The solenoids are covered by small cylindrical casings 52 (see Figure 2).

The entire stiffener blank feed mechanism may be adapted to be adjusted bodily not only towards and away from the moulding machine, but also vertically and side ways.

Interlocks may be provided to ensure that the carriage has returned before the moulding operation is completed. v

I claim: 1

1. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across andis supported in the said carriage, said body being turnable' about its longitudinal axis, means for turning the elongated body to and fro about -the said axis as and when the carriage is moved back and; forth as aforesaid, a pair of swivelling clamps mounted on the said elongated body and furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, and means for turning the said swivelling clamps angularly in opposite directions conjointly-with: the turning movements of the elongated body.

2, In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in com bination, a framework supported adjacent tothe front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, 3.- storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face ofthe mould, means for elfecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the said carriage said body being turnable about its longitudinal axis, means for turning the elongated body to and fro about the-said axis as and when the carriage is moved back and forth as aforesaid, a pairof swivelling clamps mounted on the said elongated body and furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, means for turningthe said swivelling clamps angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements ofthe elongated body,

positioning elements located at the top of the storage magazine and designed to receive and hold a stilfener blank in a fiat condition with a marginal edge portion thereof positioned for engagement in the clamping jaws of the swivelling clamps at the termination of 'a rearward movement of the carriage away from the mould, and a component which is connected with the carriage and is movable longitudinally within the magazine, said component being adapted, each time the carriage moves towards the mould, to pick up a blank from the top of the stack in the magazine and withdraw from the latter to insert this blank between the positioning elements and each time. the carriage, moves away from the mould to return to the magazine.

3. Mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the, to and fro movements of theelongatcd body about its longitudinal axis are each to the extent of 180 so that each time the carriage is moved rearwardly the, jaws of the clamps will be engagedover a stiffener blank held by the positioning elements, whereas when the carriage is advanced to the mould the said. clamps will be presented forwardly so that they face the mould.

4. In a machine having amould for moulding to. shapeshoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, aframework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth alongthe said guides between the magazine and the front; face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across: and, is; supported in the said carriage, said body being turnable about its; longitudinal. axis, means for. turning the, elongated body to and fro about the said axis as and when the carriage; is: moved, back and. forth as aforesaid, apair of swivelling-clamps each comprising: fixed and relatively movable jaws for gripping and re: leasing a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, mountings carrying the said jaws, a pair of spindles arranged to turn: inthe front of the elongated body and each having an outer endto which one of the two jawmountin'gs is secured and from which the said mounting extends at right angles, means for turning the said spindles and hence also-the-clamps angularly in opposite 8 directions conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body, positioning elements located above the? storage magazine and designed to receive and hold a stiffener blankin a fiat condition with a marginal edge portion thereof positioned for engagement in the clamping jaws of the swivelling clamps at the termination of a rearwardmovement of'the carriage away from the mould, and means connected with the carriage and adapted, each time the latter moves towards the mould, to pick up a blank from the stack in the magazine and to insert this blank between the positioning elements.

5; Mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the movable jaw of each swivelling clamp is pivoted and is tumable into co-operative relationship with the associated fixed jaw byelectro-mechanical means comprising a push rod arranged to act on the pivoted jaw and to be displaced axially by means of a solenoid mounted on the elongated body;

6. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the frame work, a storage-magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould,- means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the said carriage, said body being turnableabout its longitudinal axis, a bar secured to and extending longitudinally with respect to the said framework, a shaft fixed in the elongated body and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof, a friction wheel mounted on the said shaft and arranged to run along in contact with an edge of the aforesaid bar whereby as a direct consequence of the longitudinal movements of the carriage relatively to the framework the elongated body is turned over to and fro about itsaxis, a pair of swivelling clamps mounted on the said elongated body and furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release amarginaledge portion of a stiffener blank, and means for turning the said swivelling clamps angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body.

'7. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the'said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, astoragemagazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the said carriage, said body being turnable about its longitudinal axis, a bar secured to and extending longitudinally with respect to the said framework, a shaftfixed in the elongated body and extending along thelongitudinal axis thereof, a friction wheel mounted on the said shaft and arranged to runalong in contact with an edge of the aforesaid bar whereby as a direct consequence of the longitudinal movements of the carriage relatively to the framework the elongated body is turned over to and fro about its axis, a pair of swivelling clamps mounted on the said elongated body and furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, means for turning the said swivelling clamps angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body, a member on the elongated body having parallel locating fiats, and a location bar fitted to the framework, the said location bar having straight portions for engagement by the flats suchwise as to positively locate the elongated body and prevent it from turning at each end of the travel of the carriage back and forth.

8. Mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the location bar is horizontally disposed and has on the underside thereof straight horizontal end portions and an intermediate upwardly shaped portion, the straight horizontal portions co-operating with the parallel flats, and the recess formed in the said bar by the upward shaping thereof serving to accommodate the member formed with the flats during the free turning-over movements of the elongated body.

9. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the said carriage, said body being turnable about its longitudinal axis, means for imparting to the elongated body turning movements to and fro about the said axis each to the extent of 180 when the carriage is moved back and forth as aforesaid, a pair of swivelling clamps each comprising fixed and relatively movable jaws for gripping and releasing a marginal edge portion'of a stiffener blank, mountings carrying the said jaws, a pair of spindles arranged to turn in the fronts of the elongated body and each having an outer end to which one of the two jaw mountings is secured and from which the said mounting extends at right angles, aligned half shafts fixed in the elongated body and about the common axis of which the said body is turnable, 2/1 gears between the spindles of the swivelling clamps and the said half shafts so that the said spindles and hence also the clamps are turned angularly in opposite directions each to the extent of 90 conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body, positioning elements located above the storage magazine and designed to receive and hold a stiffener blank in a flat condition with a marginal edge portion thereof positioned for engagement in the clamping jaws of the swivelling clamps at the termination of a rearward movement of the carriage away from the mould, and means connected with the carriage and adapted, each time the latter moves towards the mould, to pick up a blank from the stack in the magazine and to insert this blank between the positioning elements.

10. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stiffener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blan'ks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the said carriage, said body being turnable about its longitudinal axis, means for turning the elongated body to and fro about the said axis as and when the carriage is moved back and forth as aforesaid, a pair of swivelling clamps mounted on the said elongated body and furnished with clamping jaws operable to grip and release a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, means for turning the said swivelling clamps angularly in opposite directions conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body, positioning elements located at the top of the storage magazine and designed to receive and hold a stiffener blank a flat condition with a marginal edge portion thereof positioned for engagement in the clamping jaws of the swivelling clamps at the termination of a rearward movement of the carriage away from the mould, a bracket on the back of the framework, a sleeve mounted to rock forwardly and rearwardly in said bracket, a spring controlling the movements of said sleeve, a tube which is slidable longitudinally up and down through the sleeve vacuum-engendering means connected with the upper end of said tube, and a connection between a portion of the carriage and the lower end of said tube whereby each time the carriage moves forwardly, the tube, with a stiffener blank held by suction to the open lower end thereof, is drawn up through the sleeve to a position at which the tube is permitted to be swung forward against the action of the spring to insert the blank between the positioning elements.

11. In a machine having a mould for moulding to shape shoe stilfener blanks, mechanism for automatically feeding such blanks into the said mould comprising, in combination, a framework supported adjacent to the front of the moulding machine, guides on the framework, a storage magazine at the back of the said framework to contain a stack of stiffener blanks, a carriage which is movable back and forth along the said guides between the magazine and the front face of the mould, means for effecting such back and forth movements of the said carriage, an elongated body which extends transversely across and is supported in the carriage, said body being turnable about its longitudinal axis, positioning elements located at the top of the storage magazine and designed to receive and hold a stiffener blank in a flat condition with a marginal edge portion thereof presented forwardly, means for imparting to the elongated body turning movements to and fro about the said axis each to the extent of 180 when the carriage is moved back and forth, a pair of swivelling clamps each comprising fixed and relatively movable jaws for gripping and releasing a marginal edge portion of a stiffener blank, mountings carrying the said jaws, a pair of spindles arranged to turn in the front of the elongated body and each having an outer end to which one of the two jaw mountings is sea I cured and from which the said mounting extends at right angles, aligned half shafts fixed in the elongated body and about the common axis of which the said body is turnable, 2/1 gears between the spindles of the swivelling clamps and the said half shafts so that the said spindles and hence also the clamps are turned angularly in opposite directions each to the extent of conjointly with the turning movements of the elongated body for the purpose described, means connected with the carriage and adapted, each time the latter moves towards the mould, to pick up a blank from the stack in the magazine and to insert this blank between the positioning elements, and a pressure plate mounted upon the front of the elongated body, between the two swivelling clamps, the said plate being adapted to act on a stiffener blank previously taken by the clamps from the positioning elements and bent by the clamps into inverted U-formation in such a way as to push the bent blank into the mould at the termination of a forward movement of the carriage.

12. Mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the" tively adjustable laterally, said plates constituting opposite sides of the storage magazine, and upwardly m- V clined arms associated with said plates and defining the bottom of the magazine.

No references cited. 

